Shoe-polishing devices of themselves are well-known, each of which are designed to apply a cream, liquid or paste to shoe uppers via a roller or brush. Such shoe-polish is stored in some type of container which is usually the handle of the device. The shoe-polish is usually applied by soft brushes or rollers which are connected to the handle which stores the polish. These rollers and brushes are usually soft so that they can conform to the uppers of the shoes and apply the shoe-polish to the entire surface of the shoe. Many of the brushes and rollers rotate while applying the shoe-polish either by mechanical or manual methods.
The obvious drawbacks of these type of applicators is the threat of having the creams or the paste from a stick of shoe polish get onto a users hands or clothes when handling the stick of shoe-polish to place it in the container of the applicator which holds the stick. An example of a shoe-polish applicator which utilizes a stick of paste is U.S. Pat. No. 2,705,811 issued to Moran, which discloses a rotating brush applicator rotatably mounted on a hollow handle. A shoe-polish paste in the form of a stick must be placed in the hollow handle prior to use. An opening allows communication between the hollow handle and the axial rotating brush such that a spring urges the stick into contact with the brush.
Liquid reservoir type applicators create the possibility of the liquid polish leaking from the reservoir and staining items around the applicator. This is common when one is traveling and must carry the applicator in a suitcase amongst items such as expensive clothing which then is destroyed. An example of a shoe-polish applicator which utilizes a roller to dispense fluid from a reservoir is U.S. Pat. No. 4,648,732 issued to Smialkowski, which discloses a soft roller which is in communication with a liquid shoe-polish reservoir. The soft roller spreads the liquid shoe-polish over the shoe uppers.
Another disadvantage of most shoe-polish applicators is that they are designed to polish the shoe upper and do not have brushes or rollers of a size dimension which conform to the heel or edges of shoe soles. Further, soft brushes and rollers are not capable of absorbing the liquid shoe polish thereby creating a need for the liquid reservoir to hold surplus shoe-polish for replenishing the brush for the next use.
These conventional shoe-polish applicators are further very limited in their range of use. They must only be used on shoes with leather uppers.
Another type of shoe-polish applicator uses pads for dispensing creams, or even liquid, housed in a reservoir which is in communication with the pads. The drawback encountered when using these type of applicators is the common occurrence of the pad drying into a hardened mass after use. The cream or liquid enters into the cells of the pad during operation. After use the shoe dressing remains in the cells of the pad and hardens tending to cause the pad to similarly harden and become unusable after only a few applications of shoe-polish. An example of this type of shoe-polishing device is U.S. Pat. No. 3,147,512 issued to Gleason, which discloses a spongy member which surrounds a nipple. Shoe-polishing cream housed in a reservoir exits from the nipple during operation and is spread around the desired surface by the spongy member.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,609,051 issued to Braun, discloses an artists spin brush having a soft roller rotatably mounted to one end of a handle. Liquid paint and the like is housed in the handle of the spin brush. This patent does not relate to polishing of shoes.
It hitherto has been found to be impossible to provide a shoe-polish applicator which can apply polish to shoes and shoe soles but which does not require paste in the form of a stick or a liquid containing reservoir. It has also been found to be impossible to provide an applicator which is capable of absorbing enough liquid shoe-polish for numerous applications while not drying into hardened mass and still providing resilient qualities to permit clean, defined shoe polishing.
Accordingly, it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a shoe-polish applicator which does not require a reservoir to hold a supply of the shoe polish.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a light and compact shoe-polish applicator capable of being carried conveniently in one's pocket or suitcase when traveling.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an applicator which provides for fast, easy and convenient polishing of heels and edges of shoe soles.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide an applicator of liquid shoe polish which provides a clean, defined finish to heels and edges of shoe soles.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a shoe-polish applicator which is of substantially simple and inexpensive design and manufacture.
Still a further object of the present invention is to provide a method of polishing heels and edges of shoe soles.
These, as well as further objects and advantages of this invention, will become apparent to those skilled in the art when they review the accompanying detailed description of the preferred embodiments, reference being made to the accompanying drawings.